If you are a webmaster or someone looking into the online world as a way to generate income then it is important you consider web monitoring. If there is a problem with your website or your server then how would you find out about it without monitoring? A big problem people suffer from with websites is a technical hitch not being detected for days, weeks or even months. Not only does this affect sales and income earned but it can also drive away even the most dedicated visitors to the site. When you have a good site with regular visitors it is imperative that you invest in some good quality web monitoring.

Web monitoring is quite a broad term that covers website, network and server monitoring. There are several different packages and services available, but generally speaking alerts are sent to you once a problem has been detected with the server or network where your website is being hosted. A particularly thorough service will send an alert via email and mobile phone as soon as a problem has been detected from at least two different independent locations. Follow up alerts will also be sent until a response has been received from the webmaster or the problem has been rectified.

The success of a website is generally based on the number of transactions that take place each day. Although this sounds like a financial term, in fact in relation to websites it can mean any number of things. A transaction does indeed refer to someone purchasing a product from a website, but it could just as easily refer to a person searching for car insurance, or even checking an account balance. No money has to actually change hands in order for a website transaction to take place. Any problem, even a minor one that occurs during any of these such "transactions" can really affect the overall success of a website. The competitive nature of the online world means that customers need little reason to look elsewhere or carry out their transaction on a competitor's site. A consistent and good experience for a customer is absolutely vital if a website or company is going to be able to make a name for themselves and promote their brand.

A few years ago, a slow loading website may have been forgiven, or a small problem with a page loading correctly could have been overlooked by a potential customer. Not today however, there are no second chances and your website has to come up to scratch if it is to stand a chance. Having active server and network monitoring is absolutely crucial. Months or years of hard work and marketing could be lost overnight if a problem with the site goes undetected. It is simply not worth the risk.

Having instant alerts of downtime or a potential other problem ensures instant action. Being notified early on means the problem can be caught and put right before there are any serious consequences. It can literally mean the difference between ongoing success of a website and total failure. Ensure you are getting the most from your web monitoring package by signing up for email, phone and text alerts and monitoring from different locations. You should also have access to a hosting API that provides constant updates and status updates of your website.

If you have a website that your business relies on or that receives regular traffic then you should consider web monitoring. It is a cost effective way to ensure you don't suffer from server problems or any downtime. If you have a network of sites especially you should consider constant monitoring of your network and servers. There are good cheap dedicated server hosting packages available and managed server services available to ease the administrative burden too.